Collapsible box.



0. A. PAULSON.

GOLLAPSIBLE BOX.

APPLICATION FILED rmmo. 1909.

932,806. Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

2 BHEBTB-SHHBT 1.

vweuloz Wibamoao 0. A. PAULSON.

GOLLAPSIBLE BOX.

APPLICATION IILED rmzo, 1909.

932,806. Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Swuautoz Q atfunuao OSCAR AMUND PAULSON, 0]? RIVER FALLS, WISCONSIN.

GOLLAPSIBLE BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 20, 1909. Serial No. 479,096.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR AMUNI) PAUL- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at River Falls, in the county of Pierce and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Collapsible Box, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to collapsible boxes, crates and the like and it is more especially designed for use as an egg crate, fruit crate and the like, although. it is also capable of being used for various other purposes.

The objectof the invention is to provide a box made up of telescopic sections, novel means being provided whereby the sections may be locked against movement after the box has been extended.

Another object is to provide a novel fastening means for securing the box sect-ions against independent movement.

A further object is to provide a novel form of fastener for securing the cover of the box in closed position.

\Vith these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts here inafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a perspective view of the box extended to its greatestcapacity. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section therethrough, the box being shown collapsed. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the box, showing the same extended. Fig. 4 is a section on line AB Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of one of the locking members of the box. Fig. 6 is a detail view showing a modified form of locking device.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates the base section of the box, the same consisting of a'bottom and front, rear and end walls which may if preferred be formed of sheet metal, all of the parts being preferably integral. The upper edges of the walls of this base section 1 are rolled outwardly to form a bead 2 through which a wire 3 is extended, said wire constituting the pivot of locking plates 4 which are arranged within the section 1. As shown especially in Fig. 5 each locking plate is in the form of an elongated strip provided at desired intervals with hooked tongues 5 extending from one edge thereof, there being eyes 6 adjacent opposite edges of each tongue and integral with the strip, said eyes having the wire 3 extending through them. A fixed partition 7 may be arranged transversely within the section 1 and the upper corners of this partition may be cut away as indicated at 8 so as not to interfere with the swinging movement of the locking plates 4. It is of course understood that each locking plate is normally in position upon the inner face of the wall of section 1 on which it is mounted. This normal position of the plate has been indicated in Fig. 2.

The box is provided with an extension member 9 designed to fit snugly therearound and to slide thereon, said extension member being provided with inwardly rolled portions at its lower edges, said portions constituting beads 10 through which a wire 11 extends. Notches 12 are cut into the lower edges of opposite walls of the extension 9, so as to expose the wire 11 therein, and these notches are so located that when the extension 9 is moved upwardly to bring its beads 10 into contact with the beads 2, the tongues 5 will be in position to swing into engagement with the exposed portions of the Wire 11.

A wire 13 extends transversely of the upper portion of the extension 9, and a partition 14 is mounted thereon, said partition being of such length that when the box is extended the lower portion of the said partition will lap the upper portion of the partition 7.

Extension 9 is provided with a hinged closure 15 preferably provided with flanges 16 designed to lap the upper edges of the extension. The flange 16 which 18 farthest removed from the hinges 17 of the cover is struck outwardly adjacent the ends thereof and each of these outstruck portions, which have been indicated at 18, is provided with spaced openings 19, in which are slidably mounted the sprin arms 20 of a fastener 21. These arms have t eir free ends converging as indicated at 21, there being shoulders 22 upon the arms for projecting under and engaging a strap or keeper 23 secured upon the adjoining wall of extension 9. These arms 20 are normally spread apart so as to cause the shoulders to automatically engage the keeper. It will be apparent therefore Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

that the cover 15 cannot be swung open unless the converging ends 21 of the fasteners are first drawn together, so as to withdraw the shoulders 22 from engagement with the keepers.

When the box is collapsed the hinged partition l4 rests in a substantially horizontal position, or in a position parallel with the bottom of the box, and the strips 4. hang within the spaces formed by cutting away the corners of the fixed partition 7 When it is desired to extend the box the section 9 is slid upwardly away from the bottom of the section 1, and this upward movement is limited by the beads 10 coming into contact with the stop beads 2. The locking strips 4 can then be swung upwardly with the wire 3 as a pivot, and the hooked tongues 5, which normally open outwardly, will thus swing downward over and under the exposed portions of the wire 11, and will thus engage said wire and prevent the extension 9 from sliding back to its initial position. In order to prevent the strips 4 and their tongues 5 from returning to their normal positions the partition 14 is swung downward into the position indicated in Figs. 3 and a, and, obviously, will thus prevent the strips 4 from swinging inwardly and releasing the wire 11. It will be seen therefore that as long as partition 14 extends downwardly from the top of the box there is no danger of the box collapsing.

In some forms of boxes it is not desirable to use a partition, and in such constructions a fastening device such as illustrated in Fig. (3 is preferably utilized. This consists of a strip 24 having eyes 25 and hooked tongues 26 similar to those heretofore described. Said strip however is provided at an intermediate point with a fiat extension 27 extending at right angles therefrom and designed, when the strip is in locking position, to be engaged by a locking sleeve 28, slidably mounted in the slots 29 formed in the wall of the box.

It is of course to be understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

hat is claimed is 1. A collapsible box comprising telescopically connected sections, a marginal reinforcing device upon one of the sections, means pivotally mounted upon said reinforcing device and mounted to swing through one wall of the reinforced section and into engagement with the other section, and means within one of said sections for holding the engaging means against movement.

2. A collapsible receptacle comprising telescopic sections, a locking device pivotally connected to the free edge of one wall of one of the sections, the pivot of said device being parallel with said edge, said locking device being mounted to swing beyond the section on which it is mounted and into engagementwith the other section, and means for securing said locking device in' engaging position.

3. A collapsible receptacle including telescopic sections, a locking strip pivotally connected to thefree marginal portion of one wall ofone of the sections, the pivot of said strip being parallel with said edge, a plura lity of engaging devices carried by said strip and mounted to swing beyond the section on which the strip is mounted and into engagement with the other section, and means for securing the locking strip against movement. 4. An extensible receptacle comprising inner and outer telescopic sections, cooperating stop beads upon said sections, said outer section having notches adjacent the beads, a locking strip pivotally mounted upon and located within the inner section, engaging devices carried by the strip and movable into the notches, means within said notches for engagement with said devices, and means for holding the strip against movement.

An extensible receptacle comprising inner and outer telescopic sections, said outer section having notches in the bottom portion of one wall thereof, cooperating means upon the sections for limiting their relative movement in one direction, a locking device pivotally connected to the inner section and movable into the notches of the outer section, means within said notches for engagement by said devices, and means for locking the devices against movement.

6. An extensible receptacle comprising inner and outer telescopic sections, said outer section having a notch in the lower ortion of one wall, a locking device pivotal y connected to the inner section and mounted to swing into the notch of the outer section, means within said notch for engagement by said device, and means movably connected to the outer section for holding said device in engaging position.

7. An extensible receptacle comprising inner and outer telescopic sections, said outer section having a notch in the lower ortion of one wall, a locking device pivotal y connected to the inner section and mounted to swing into the notch, means within the notch for engagement by said locking device, and a partition movably mounted within the outer section and shiftable into position to hold the locking device against movement.

8. An extensible receptacle comprising inner and outer telescopic sections, one of said sections having notches therein adjacent the free edges of opposed walls, a locking strip pivotally connected to the other section, engaging devices extending from the strip and mounted to swing into the notches, means within said notches for engagement by the engaging devices, and means for holding the strip and engaging devices against movement. said means being located within the notched section.

9. An extensible receptacle comprising inner and outer telescopic sections, one of said sections having marginal notches in opposed walls and adjacent the free edges of said walls, a locking strip pivotally mounted within the other section, engaging devices extending from said strip and mounted to swing into the notches, means Within the notches for engagement by said devices, a fixed partition within the inner section, and a movable partition Within the outer section and shift-able into position to hold the looking strip against movement.

10. An extensible receptacle comprising inner and outer telescopic sections, cooperating beads upon the free edges of the Walls of sections for limiting the movement of said sections, there being notches Within one of the sections and intersecting the beads thereon, a reinforcing Wire within said intersected beads and extending across the notches, and locking means carried by the other section and shiftable into position within the notches and into engagement with the wire therein to lock the sections against independent movement.

11. An extensible receptacle comprising inner and outer telescopic sections, cooperating beads upon the free edges of the walls thereof for limiting the movement of the sections, one of said sections having notches intersecting its beads, a reinforcing Wire extending through the intersected bead and across the notches, a locking device pivotally connected to the other section and mounted to swing into the notches and into engagement with the wire therein, and means upon the notched section for engaging the locking device to hold it in engaging position.

12. An extensible receptacle comprising inner and outer telescopic sections, cooperating beads upon the free edges of the Walls of the sections constituting stop devices, reinforcing Wires extending through said beads, one of said sections having notches therein intersecting the beads, the Wire of the said section extending across the notches, locking strips upon one of the sections, eyes thereon bearing upon the reinforcing wire of said last mentioned section, hooked tongues extending from said strips and arranged to swing into the notches and to engage the wire exposed therein, and means movably mounted in one of the sections for holding the strips against movement.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

OSCAR AMUND PAULSON.

Witnesses CHRIS. N. WIGER, FRED KNOBEL. 

